Slip of the Tongue
by DimiGex
Summary: "I think I'm falling in love with you." The whispered words paralyzed Kakashi, making it impossible to draw a breath, much less reply. Sakura laughed, but the sound was strained. Then, she shook her head. "I-I think I've had a little too much to drink."


**Author's Note: **This is part of Fictober19 on Tumblr. The prompt was 'I know you didn't ask for this"

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"I think I'm falling in love with you." The whispered words paralyzed Kakashi, making it impossible to draw a breath, much less reply. Sakura laughed, but the sound was strained. Then, she shook her head. "I-I think I've had a little too much to drink."

Kakashi sat stupefied as Sakura gathered up an armful of papers from the table, blush coloring her cheeks. She knocked over one of the tiny sake cups in her hurry, splashing liquid onto the floor. Mumbling another apology, she reached for the napkins. Kakashi's mind operated several long seconds behind reality. He only moved to help once Sakura had cleaned up most of the mess.

"I'm sorry," Sakura apologized for the third time, then turned away with tears in her eyes.

_Smile, blow it off, don't let her go. Do something, for once in your life. _Kakashi couldn't make his body obey those commands any more than he could understand Sakura's sudden change in conversation.

After their meeting had dragged well past normal office hours, Kakashi and Sakura had decided to finish the discussion over dinner. He'd suggested the sushi restaurant that Sakura had been rambling about for the past three weeks. She'd accepted, and they'd had a perfectly normal dinner despite the hospital budget being the chief topic of conversation. Sakura had ordered sake, and their chatter lightened to laughter and unwinding after a long week. Then, Sakura blurted out those words and-and _what am I doing still sitting here? _

Giving himself a mental shake, Kakashi stood and turned toward the door. He paused, then tossed some money on the table. He had no idea how much their dinner had cost, but that would be more than cover it. Kakashi didn't want to waste precious seconds figuring out the details. Grabbing the Hokage's cloak from an empty chair where he'd tossed it, he darted into the night.

When Kakashi and Sakura had left the Hokage's office, the heavy sky had been threatening rain. It had finally surrendered, pouring off the buildings and shining under the street lamps. He glanced both directions, then caught a glimpse of pink to the left.

"Sakura!" Kakashi called out. But, if the woman heard him, she only hurried faster, feet splashing through the rapidly forming puddles. Deciding, he shunshined in front of her. Sakura bumped into Kakashi's chest, then scrambled backward until her shoulders bumped the wall behind her.

"I'm sorry," Sakura began before Kakashi could speak."I know you didn't ask for this. I shouldn't have said anything. It's stupid and presumptuous and-."

The way that Kakashi said Sakura's name stopped the flood of words from her mouth. Conscious of the storm, he brought one arm up to rest on the wall above her head. The Hokage cloak provided a momentary shelter from the rain. Sakura glanced to the side like a frightened animal ready to bolt. He splayed the fingertips of his free hand against the stone. Kakashi exhaled, suddenly aware that he had no idea what to say. "Stop apologizing."

Sakura held the reports between them like a shield. "You don't have to act like I didn't just make a complete idiot out of myself. It's fine. Ino always said that I couldn't hold my alcohol and-"

Kakashi saw the briefest flash of anger in Sakura's captivating green eyes when he shushed her. If his stomach hadn't been uncomfortably fluttery, he might have laughed. Bringing his left hand away from the wall, Kakashi lifted Sakura's chin. Her breath sounded ragged over the pattering rain above them. "If you don't stop talking, I can't kiss you."

Sakura's mouth fell open in surprise when Kakashi lowered his mask to kiss her. Warmth flooded through his chest, forcing a blush onto Kakashi's cheeks. When he pulled back, Sakura chuckled. The sound was intoxicating. "So," she teased, running a finger up the front of his flak vest. "I'll take that as a sign you're interested too?"

Kakashi laughed at the absurdity of the question. Somehow, he'd found himself standing in the middle of a rainy street, shielded from prying eyes by the cloak that he'd never wanted, next to the woman that he'd thought would never view him as anything but her former sensei. He grinned. "Definitely, maybe."


End file.
